water change

[proraptor]

I use Tropic Marin Regular and it says right on the box to make sure the salt is dissolved (which is really easy) and to just pour it in (no 24 hour wait)....Ive been dumping my water in right after I mixed it and everything is doing awesome....

There have been many tests on reef central that have proved that temp does affect water parameters...

 

[skipm]

If I were choosing between a refractometer and an RO unit I would go for the RO unit. As I mentioned in a PM to you if money is tight you can buy a good floating (looks alot like a thermometer) hydrometer that is very accurate for under $10, here is an example of a couple: http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_the ... sp?CartId= .
You can also use an RO unit for your families drinking water. I have seen many units available for just over $100 on Ebay that included an RO tank and faucet. If you are a little tight for money you can buy a straight RO unit now and add DI on later.

 

[idog]

Personally I don't aerate or circulate my water for changes. I just shake the hell out of it before I change it. I do let it sit for 24 hours because I do notice a slight change in SG between when I add the mix and it sits for 24 hours. I use TM too.

The frustrating thing about cheaper RO units is that they can take more than an hour to get one gallon of water. You have to be really on top of cleaning and filter changes as well.

Of course temp affects parameters...just not SG significantly.

As for heating the water before changing. 10% added over say 15 minutes, when it is max 5 degrees clooler than the tank water may give you fraction of a degree shift.

For tap water, phophate is usually present and can end up causing some major algae issues. You also need to be aware if you have copper pipes.

the best advice someone gave me is always have enough premixed salt water on hand for a 25% water change. That way if you come home to a floating corpse in the tank, you can do a quick change and mitigate damage. Most of us are running skimmerless and fugeless, so water changes are our only way to export nutrients.

The bottom line is there is no right way to do this, and we all have success in our ways.

 

[JeffDubya]

As I mentioned in a PM to you if money is tight you can buy a good floating (looks alot like a thermometer) hydrometer that is very accurate for under $10

Skip... just so ya know, I *was* listening... I bought one. However, it didn't come with temperature correction tables, and I don't have a beaker for it, so my readings with it are probably about the same as wth the deep six.

 

[JeffDubya]

OK... my Marine Depot refractometer came in today.

First, after having so many problems with other vendors, they shipped fast (and the shipping fee was reasonable), the product was reasonably priced, and it seems to be a high quality instrument.

That being said, someone said my readings would be pretty drastically different once I got the refractometer. They were.

My old salinity reading was 32, my new reading is 37

My old gravity reading was 1.024, my new reading is 1.028

So... I don't know what you all consider drastic, but it was definitely different.

 

[JeffDubya]

...I usually add a buffer and Kalkwasser...

I've seen this product mentioned. Obviously, the name is german in origin, and means "lime water" Is it that simple?

And it's for... raising alkilinity?

Thanks

 

[idog]

It buffers alk and doses calcium.

 

[TimSchmidt]

Yep lime water, you can go to the grocery store and buy pickling lime (same thing), just do me a favor and google the exact process of using pickling lime before you kill your tank by listening to me

 

[JeffDubya]

http://www.simplifiedreefkeeping.com/faq/kalk.htm

Pickling Lime is food grade calcium hydroxide.

How about this link.

 

[JeffDubya]

I am doing some reading on this site... this may be a much more complex description and instruction than I am looking for... dosing schedule, drip treatments, etc. Sounds from this document that this may be more for an advanced user.

OR... is there a more simplified way of doing this, e.g. adding a small amount of calcium hydroxide to the replacement water prior to a change? I'll keep looking, but until I can find a better roadmap, I think I will leave the pickles for the burgers for now

 

[JeffDubya]

Another good article...

http://www.aquariumhobbyist.com/article ... ments.html

A little short on specifics, but a good description as to WHY someone would do this.

 

[TimSchmidt]

You really shouldn't have to dose kalkwasser unless you have quite a few calcium demanding corals.